State of Susanhttps://stateofsusan.wordpress.com
My space beyond 140 - Purposeful and random thoughts
Tue, 20 Nov 2018 00:03:42 +0000 en
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1 http://wordpress.com/https://secure.gravatar.com/blavatar/a634c5ca39d34378500672e2d8132547?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.pngState of Susanhttps://stateofsusan.wordpress.com
2012 Holiday Card Project on Shutterflyhttps://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/2012-holiday-card-project-on-shutterfly/
https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/2012-holiday-card-project-on-shutterfly/#respondMon, 26 Nov 2012 07:09:45 +0000http://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/?p=186It's that time of the year...get my holiday cards printed. I have used Kodak Gallery the past few years, since I had an employee discount, but since last year 1) Kodak Gallery was sold to Shutterfly and 2) I'm not an employee as of November 30th. To get the scoop on the latter, you'll have to read our family newsletter. Hey, I need to hold something back since I'm posting a preview of our holiday card here. And you're probably asking me, "Why are you posting it?" Well, that's because Shutterfly will email me $10 for posting it my website as part of their marketing effort to bring traffic to their site (hey, I'm in marketing, I know how this works!).

Okay, Shutterfly…I’ll be on the lookout for that $1o coupon you promised me!

]]>https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/2012-holiday-card-project-on-shutterfly/feed/0susanpolizzottoNice way to support a causehttps://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/nice-way-to-support-a-cause/
https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/nice-way-to-support-a-cause/#commentsMon, 20 Feb 2012 02:31:11 +0000http://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/?p=177I was buying some more charms today at Brighton Jewelry store and was pleasantly surprised to discover that when you buy Alzheimer’s purple ribbon

charm, you receive a $20 check that you can mail to the Alzheimer’s Association! And the Sigma Kappa in me thinks that’s awesome!

So, I received a sample of Downey UNstoppables yesterday. There’s scent in my detergent, scent in your fabric softener (if you use it, I don’t), and now what looks to me to be extra scent. Guess it’s for those families who really stink up their clothes?

]]>https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/can-there-too-much-scent-in-your-laundry/feed/0susanpolizzottoimageRecreating Souplantation at Homehttps://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/recreating-souplantation-at-home/
https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/recreating-souplantation-at-home/#respondSun, 13 Mar 2011 02:37:50 +0000http://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/?p=169If my kids could have their way for dinner every night, it would be to eat at Souplantation. So I came up with a way to satisfy their craving (and get them to eat more healthy) between our visits to their favorite all-you-can eat buffet. I decided to “re-create” the experience at home. I was amazed how much stuff I had in my refrigerator and pantry to do this. Their salad bar selection consisted of:
– lettuce (pre-cut and pre-washed from a bag)
– raisin medley (Trader Joe’s)
– croutons (box from grocery store)
– pasta (I have always have a container of pre-cooked pasta in the fridge for the kids lunches)
– tomatoes (staple in our household)
– shredded parmesan/romano cheese (Costco)
– chicken (sliced grilled pieces of frozen chicken breast that I warmed up in the microwave for 1 min)

And then each girl had gave me their choice (from what I had on hand) for salad dressing. They loved going around the table with their own plate and coming up with their salad creation. And I loved that it was fast and healthy for them. I need to find more quick healthy meals like this. Anyone else have ideas to share with me?

]]>https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/recreating-souplantation-at-home/feed/0susanpolizzottoAll you can eat buffet at homeShrimp Avocado Diphttps://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2010/09/12/shrimp-avocado-dip/
https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2010/09/12/shrimp-avocado-dip/#respondSun, 12 Sep 2010 21:47:04 +0000http://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/?p=154A USC friend made this recipe and shared it with me. Without a doubt, every time I make it, I get a request for the recipe. So if you like shrimp and avocado, you’ll love this appetizer.

1 lb of shrimp, cut into small pieces (use larger shrimp. bay shrimp are less expensive, but the flavor is different)
1 avocado, cut into small pieces
1 box crumbled feta cheese (I’m not a fan of feta cheese, and so I leave this ingredient out. I think it tastes more “fresh” when it’s left out)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/3 purple onion, chopped
tabasco sauce
salt & pepper
lemon juice

Mix everything and adjust the seasoning to taste.

In San Diego, the homemade tortilla chips from Harvest Ranch (a grocery store Del Mar) are light and salty and go perfectly with the dip. Otherwise, try going to a Mexican restaurant and get some of their homemade tortilla chips.

]]>https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2010/09/12/shrimp-avocado-dip/feed/0susanpolizzottoI’m not a Wheaties fan, but could I be one for Wheaties Fuel?https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2010/09/11/im-not-a-wheaties-fan-but-could-i-be-one-for-wheaties-fuel/
https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2010/09/11/im-not-a-wheaties-fan-but-could-i-be-one-for-wheaties-fuel/#commentsSat, 11 Sep 2010 22:12:20 +0000http://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/?p=138So this morning with my Saturday paper, a small box of Wheaties Fuel was in included. What is interesting to me is not that Wheaties has a new product, but it’s the marketing tool they used to generate awareness of it.

I found this on the back of the box:

The funny looking square is a Microsoft Tag. As instructed I downloaded the “tag” app from GETTAG.MOBI. The website smartly detects what type of smartphone I had (which is a Blackberry) and offers you the appropriate app to download. Then when you run the app, it uses you smartphone’s camera to scan the tag which then takes you to the Wheaties Fuel mobile website to learn more about the cereal.

I’ve not seen this “tagging” on any consumer products I typically buy, so this was intriguing to me (but then again, I have a career in marketing, and I love when technology brings new tools for us marketers). If this, what marketer’s consider a “call to action”, had not been on the box, I would have just tossed the box of cereal in my cabinet to be consumed at some later date. I would have not taken the time to discover the difference between Wheaties and Wheaties Fuel (as I have never consumed Wheaties in my life). Now I wonder if this marketing tool becomes more pervasive on consumer goods, will I some day just ignore the call to action or will I always wonder what’s on the other end of that tag?

P.S. I did try the cereal. It tasted exactly as the box describes it: lightly sweetened crunchy whole wheat flakes and crispy rice with real honey and cinnamon. I used it as a topper for my greek yogurt. Yum!

]]>https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2010/09/11/im-not-a-wheaties-fan-but-could-i-be-one-for-wheaties-fuel/feed/1susanpolizzottoSample cereal box of Wheaties FuelBack of Wheaties Fuel cereal boxDisclosure Policyhttps://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/disclosure-policy/
https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/disclosure-policy/#respondSat, 21 Aug 2010 22:17:48 +0000http://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/?p=130This is my personal blog that is written by me and the views and opinions I express are mine alone.

This blog does not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, I will and do accept and keep free products, services, travel, event tickets, and other forms of compensation from companies and organizations.

I am not compensated in any way from this blog nor am I compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. If I decide to review or promote a topic, product or service, I only do so because I personally believe in it and hope that the review will be helpful for others.

Since this blog does not generate income for me, I am employed full time by Eastman Kodak Company. This fact may or may not have a significant impact on the content of this blog.

For questions about this blog, please contact spolizzotto at hotmail dot com.

No, we didn’t go to Hawaii a second time this summer (and my intentions of blogging about Kauai is still in draft state…I just need to find time to finish it!). But…we did attend a luau for the 2nd time this summer! I had never heard about the luau at the Kona Kai Resort till a friend mentioned it to me in July. With my brother-in-law and his wife were coming to San Diego to escape the oven in Phoenix, I thought what a great activity for them to enjoy!

San Diego’s Kona Kai Resort is on Shelter Island, and every Friday during the summer, they hold a traditional luau on the beach behind their hotel. For $42/adult and $19.95 for kids (under 5 free), you get a traditional luau buffet, drinks and a Polynesian dance show (including hula and fire dancers).

I was pleasantly surprised how delicious the food was. Typically you think buffets for the masses have average tasting dishes. The Kona Kai luau did an excellent job of providing an experience in food and entertainment you would find in Hawaii. My favorites – kalua pork and lomi lomi (normally, I don’t like this salmon dish, but this one here was yummy!). They also had beef, chicken and fish entrees to choose from.

As for the entertainment, they start the music and dancing right at the beginning of the evening. My girls love to watch the show, and kids can go to the front of the stage area and watch the dancers up close. They love to “hula” so when the opportunity came for the audience to volunteer themselves, my girls went up with the dancers to shake their hips.

So if you’re looking for something fun to do with the family or group of friends, I highly suggest checking this out as an option for a Friday night. But hurry, the last show for this summer is on September 3rd!

]]>https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/aloha/feed/0susanpolizzottoKona Kai ResortFinally, another resource for kids birthday partieshttps://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2010/05/31/finally-another-resource-for-kids-birthday-parties/
https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2010/05/31/finally-another-resource-for-kids-birthday-parties/#respondTue, 01 Jun 2010 02:32:15 +0000http://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/?p=97I am constantly looking for new venues to hold birthday parties as I’ve done the painting pottery and Pump It Up. My next idea was the bowling alley. But then I received an invitation the other day to an open house for a new kids fitness place – WayBeyond at the UTC mall across from 24 Hour Fitness. I decided to take a peek at it this weekend to see what it was about as I can’t make it to the open house. OMG, the place looks so cool! I dragged my girls to peek in the window to get their approval – they immediately asked me if they could have their next birthday party there. Ahhh, exactly what I wanted to hear.

via WayBeyond Facebook

Way Beyond is what I would describe as a cross between a JW Tumbles and a Pump It Up. According to the info on the WayBeyond website, they have “designed, engineered, and manufactured unique and original equipment focused on achieving specific health and fitness goals for children. Our equipment is so unique, that we had to give it a new name: Functional PlayArt. Each piece of Functional PlayArt has purpose, created for a clear and defined fitness goal. Under the close guidance of WayBeyond’s Sports Scientist, Functional PlayArt has been developed to provide structure and form for a variety of children’s therapies and needs.”

Beyond (initially this was an unintended pun, but it just clicked with me maybe this was the intention!) this place looking like a huge indoor Disneyland playground, it looks like they are focusing on motivating children to be healthy with their effective, fun exercise and nutrition programs.

You can checkout the pictures on their Facebook page to see the structures and what looks to be like a fun time for kids ages 3-11. I hear they are going to offer drop-offs while you even shop at the mall (big plus for holiday shopping time!).

You can also follow them on Twitter @WayBeyondSD. Good luck WayBeyond! I can’t wait to have my girls come play.

]]>https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2010/05/31/finally-another-resource-for-kids-birthday-parties/feed/0susanpolizzottowaybeyondSmall town USA parade in San Diego for the familyhttps://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2010/05/31/smalltownusaparade/
https://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/2010/05/31/smalltownusaparade/#respondTue, 01 Jun 2010 00:34:33 +0000http://stateofsusan.wordpress.com/?p=84San Diego may be the seventh largest city in the country, but when you’re at the Kensington Memorial Day Parade you feel like you’re in Mayberry from The Andy Griffith Show. This is my family’s third year attending this fabulous event. Our friends have a home right on the parade route (palm tree lined Marlborough Dr.) so they invite their friends over for brunch and a BBQ. The girls sit on the curb with the rest of the community and watch woodie cars, clowns on unicycles, mariachi dancers, politicians and students go down the street. Of course their favorite aspect of the parade is that all the people in the parade pass out candy (and one passes out Krispy Kreme donuts) to all the spectators. But I especially like it when the dentist walks the parade and hands out toothbrushes to the kids! If you ever want that small town USA feel, give this parade a try. Parking is easy a few blocks from the parade route and it’s done in about an hour. It’s becoming a wonderful tradition for our family. Anyone else know of good small town parades?
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